Automatic air-brake.



B. w. ALU'NMDY & J. v. GIDDENS.

AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED Auafu.. i914.

Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 1st-mfr W: LUNDYANnJoHn-v'ewmns, or vatnosra. esonera.

Y aerei/tario Aria-BRAKE.

siiciacation of Letters Patent.

Pia/tentent ov. 20;. 1,917.

Aiipiicatii fusa Agust 11, 191e serial No. 856,196;

T all whom 15 may concern:

Beit known' that We,l B'URT W. LUNDY and JOHN V; GmDnNs, citizens of the United States, residing at Valdosta, in the county of Lowndes and State of Greorgia,l have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Air-Brakes, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention is an improved automatic air brake apparatus for use on a railway car or locomotive to automatically'operate the air release valve in the event that the car should leave the Vtrack or should drop on either side by the breaking of a Wheel, axle or for other reason, the object of the invention being to provide improved air brake apparatus of this kind which may be readily attached to any `ordinary `railway car, Which can only b`e' operated in the event of an accident and Which is not likely to get out of order. Y y

The invention consists in the construction,` combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional vievv of the portion of a railway car provided With automatic air brake apparatus constructed in accordance with our invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of the relief valve.

Fig. L1 is a. vievv similar to Fig. 1 and showing a modiiication.

For the purposes of this specification a part of a railway car is indicated at 1 provided with the usual train pipe 2 of the usual air brake apparatus. One of the cross beams of the car is indicated at 3 and the bolster of one of the trucks is indicated at 4. Our improved apparatus for automatically applying the brakes When the car leaves the track or breaks down is provided for each truck and consists of a relief valve 5 and operating connections therefor hereinafter described. @ne of the valves is employed in connection with each car truck and comprises a casing 6 Which is connected to the train pipe and a branch pipe 7 and a plug 8 Which is adapted to turn in the easing in either direction in order to open an air port 10 and thereby effect a reduction of pressure in the train pipe and hence cause.

the brakes to be applied, but the said plug, is normally in intermediate position to prevent air from. being discharged from the train pipe,

A The plug of tlie valve'is provided With ratchet disks 13-14 and is also provided With a pair of oppositely extending levers 154-16'Which ar-e pivotally'mounted on the stem of Vthe plug and are respectively provided with pavvls 17-18 vfor coaction vvith said ratchet disks in turning the plug. Each paivl is provided with a spring 19 to keep it in Vnorn'ially engaged position; A rock arm 20 is mounted on a stub shaft 21 vvith which the valve casing is provided and is held innorm'al position' by a coiled spring 22..-

spring 23 connect-s said rock arm to the lever 15. An arm 24 .projects from the valve 'casin and is connected by a spring 25 to the lever 16. These springs normally hold the levers, in inoperative position so that the: valve remains closed and said le# vers cannot be operated excepting by the means hereinafter described. In the form `ofv our invention shovvn in'. Fig.4 l in' which the brakes are automatically applied if a Wheel or an.: axle breaks in one of the trucks, or the car body turns to one side or other as the result of any accident, the beam 3 and the bolstera are respectively provided With o-ppositely extending vertical arms 26-27. A bell crank lever 28 is associated with the arm 26 and lever 15 and a bell crank lever 29 is associated with the arm 27 and the lever 16, said bell crank levers being pivotally connected to said arrns and respectively pivotally mounted on the bolster and beam? asf at 30-31. One arm of each bell crank lever is!l engaged With one side: of its associated valve lever? to move said valve lever against the tension of its spring in the event that the car body assumes an abnormal angular relation to the bolster as the result! of the'` car dropping on one sideibtv the breaking of a Wheel or axle or forl any other reason which might cause ay dangerous accident. Should the car body be thus inclined or the truck dropped on one side from any cause the resulting angular movement of the cross beam 3 With relation to the bolster 4L Will exert an end- Wise thrust on the arms 26-27 Which Will cause the bell crank levers to turn on their pivots and thereby cause the valve levers or one of them to be turned on the stem of the plug against the tension of its spring so as to cause the paWl to slip idly on one of the ratchet disks and engage behind a tooth thereof and whereupon the spring @Qlllltd 9 0 Said Will return same to its initial position and hence cause said pawl to coact with said ratchet disk to partly turn the valve plug to open the valve and thereby relieve pressure in the train pipe and hence cause the brakes to be applied throughout the train.

In the form of our invention shown in Fig. 4 the bell crank levers 28a-Q9@L are respectively associated with vertically movable trip bars 32-33 Which are arranged in suitable guides and supports 34C With which the bolster of the truck is provided. Said bell crank levers and trip bars may, in practice, be bent as indicated in said figure of the drawing to afford clearance, and in practice, the outer ends of said bell crank levers are broadened to permit them to slip on the upper ends of the trip bars and compensate for the pivotal movemei'it of the truck When going around curves and prevent stress from being imposed on said levers and trip bars. Should a Wheel or axle break or the truck drop on either side or the car body turn to an abnormal angle With respect to the bolster as the result of any accident, the trip bar on the lower side of the truck will strike on the rail, an upward thrust will be imparted thereto and hence the associated bell crank lever Will be turned and said bell crank lever will release one of the levers of the relief valve and hence cause the brakes to be applied throughout the train.

Having thus described our invention, We claim:-

In air brake apparatus a relier1 valve including a turning plug having a ratchet disk, a lever pivotally mounted on said plug and having` a spring pressed paivl engaging the ratchet disk, a spring connected to said lever to normally hold the same against movement, a pivotally mounted bell crank having an arm associated operatively with said valve lever and truck carried means to turn said bell crank and cause the latter and the lever to open the valve When the truck assumes an abnormal angular position with respect to the car body.

ln testimony whereof We aliX our signatures in presence of tivo Witnesses.

BURT W. LUNDY.

JOHN V. GIDDENS.

Witnesses H. F. TILLMAN, J r., ALBERT SCHIELD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

